Graduation Year
2016
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Granting Department
Secondary Education
Major Professor
Patricia Daniel Jones, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Jennifer Jacobs, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Michael Sherry, Ph.D.
Committee Member
William Young, Ed.D.
Keywords
educator learning, effective professional development, community of practice, long-term impact, oral history, legacy, Tampa Bay Area Writing Project
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to describe and explain participants’ perceptions of Tampa Bay Area Writing Project (TBAWP) influence on professional learning over time. This study explored Writing Project impact on professional learning by accessing the oral histories of three educators who were involved in TBAWP between 1998 and 2004. The research question was:
• In what ways, if any, has long-term involvement in the Tampa Bay Area Writing Project impacted the teaching practice, career growth, and professional learning of participating educators?
This qualitative study employed constructivism as the theoretical framework. Analysis of study data resulted in specific findings. Educators’ stories revealed Writing Project participation significantly impacted their teaching practice, career growth, and professional learning. The lasting impact of Writing Project involvement was seen in the ways in which educators infused the concept of community into their teaching practice, accepted leadership positions within the profession, and ultimately went on to conduct professional learning experiences for educators.
Data analysis generated a conceptual model that examines the lasting impact of educator professional learning. Implications of this finding are significant for longitudinal inquiry of educator professional learning and for impact studies of long-term Writing Project involvement. In addition to providing exemplars of educator stories of practice over time, the study contributed to development of a fuller understanding of effective professional development, educator professional learning, and the lasting impact of Writing Project involvement.
Scholar Commons Citation
Saturley, Margaret Hoffman, "Educators' Oral Histories of Tampa Bay Area Writing Project Involvement" (2016). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/6141
